Diaper rinsing device



Nov. 14, 1967 M. J. JONES ETAL 3,352,132

DIAPER RINSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 7, 1965 g mvrsmolz BY 7773/5, 777M MK ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,352,132 DIAPER RINSING DEVICE Mary Jeanne Jones and Richard F. Jones III, both of Box 117, RED. 3, Charlottesville, Va. 22902 Filed Sept. 7, 1965, SenNo. 485,513

Claims. (Cl. 68-213) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device for handling soiled diapers and, more particularly, to a device for transporting a soiled diaper from a location of use to a location of rinse and for securely holding the diaper during the rinse.

it is well known that a conventional toilet bowl provides a convenient receptacle for rinsing soiled diapers. The rinsing is a customary step undertaken for sanitary purposes as well as for assisting in the final washing process. This task is not viewed with enthusiasm as it is a common practice to hand-dip a soiled diaper up and down in the bowl and to further facilitate the rinsing by flushing the toilet. Rinsing devices have been disclosed in the prior art which are adequate for handling the diaper during the rinsing, but have not provided an efficient receptacle for transporting the diaper to the toilet from the changing area. The fastidious mother has found it necessary to use a separate carrying device such as a diaper pail for use between the changing location and the bathroom. This results in yet another item to be cleaned in addition to the diaper and the rinsing mechanism. Furthermore, prior rinsing devices have not allowed a diaper to be left unattended if it is desired to facilitate the rinsing by soaking the diaper for a while in the toilet bowl. Many times, an unknowing person has flushed an unattended and unsecured soaking diaper down the toilet, clogging the plumbing.

It is of great help to the busy mother of a young baby to provide her with a device which can fulfill all the needs described above, i.e., a receptacle for the used diaper while changing the baby, a carrier for transporting the soiled diaper to the bathroom, tongs for securely holding the diaper while rinsing it in a toilet bowl, and a clap device to keep the diaper in the toilet bowl during flushing or soaking operations. Additionally, such a device should be simple to utilize, easy to clean and economically priced.

The diaper-rinsing device of the present invention has all of the stated advantages, and yet its simpilcity of construction makes it economical to manufacture. Its construction and mode of use will be readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the diaper rinsing device in its closed position and illustrates the ladle-like S-shape of the overall device.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the device in its closed position and illustrates the bowl shaped base formed by the meeting of the two half-bowl sections.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the device in its open position and illustrates its pincer construction which allows for a scissors-like operation of the device.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the ends of the handles in Patented Nov. 14, 1967 their closed position and shows a hook and studcatch for locking the handles together.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the diaper rinsing device includes a pair of S-shaped members 10 and 11, each consisting of handle sections 12 and 13, shank sections 14 and 15, and half-bowl sections 16 and 17. The two members are pivotally joined by any suitable means, such as a rivet or a nut and bolt, at their shank sections, preferably at a point immediately above the bowl halves. In FIGURE 1 a nut 18 and bolt 19 are the connecting means. The handle sections 12 and 13 shown in FIGURE 4 may include holes 20 and 21 which are of large enough size and so positioned as to permit the insertion of thumb and fingers for gripping the device. Handle sections 12 and 13 may be equipped with means for releasably locking the members in their closed position, which means may be in any suitable form, such as a simple hook and stud catch as is commonly used on garden tools such as rose clippers. In FIGURE 4 of the drawings an exemplary fastening device is shown as a rotatably mounted hook 22 on handle section 13 and a cooperating stud 23 on handle section 12.

The half-bowl sections 16 and 17 shown in FIGURE 2 may be provided with raised lips 24 and 25 extending the lengths of the lower edges of the base of the bowl where the two bowl halves meet when the device is closed, their purpose being to prevent leakage and to provide a large surface area for gripping the diaper during the rinsing operation. The meeting surfaces of lips 24 and 25 may be specially adapted to seal against leakage and to increase their friction of grip when clamped together, for example, by surfacing with rubber or by providing interacting serrations. The bases 26 and 27 of the bowl halves 16 and 17 may be fiat, lying substantially in the same plane when closed to enable the device to stand upright to receive the diaper during the changing.

The two members 10 and 11, shown in FIGURE 3, are almost mirror images of each other except that the shank 14 of member 10 curves sharply away at point 28 from the bowl half 17 and behind shank 15 so that an overlapping area is provided where the two members can be pivotally connected by bolt 19 and nut 18.

The device stands upright in its closed position and the bowl formed by the meeting bowl halves 16 and 17 is used as a receptacle for the soiled diaper. The diaper is then carried in the device to the toilet into which it is dropped by spreading apart handles 12 and 13 as shown in FIGURE 3. A corner of the diaper is then caught between the raised lips 24 and 25 of the two bowl halves and securely held there by locking the hook 22 on stud 23 of handles 13 and 12, respectively, as shown in FIG- URE 4. The diaper can then be manually swished and rinsed in the water of the toilet and the handles of the device can be hung over the rim of the toilet bowl and held in place by lowering the toilet seat. This allows the diaper to be rinsed by flushing the toilet or to be safely left soaking.

The diaper rinsing device of this invention can be made of any suitable material. The surfaces thereof should be as smooth as practicable to facilitate its thorough cleaning. For this reason, coupled with the need for economical manufacture, the preferred material is a sturdy resilient plastic.

It is readily apparent that the diaper rinsing device of this invention provides a convenient and sanitary means of transporting and rinsing out soiled diapers. Its action resembles that of a pair of tongs or scissors and the device is simply constructed out of two easily moldable pieces pivotally connected by a simple rivet or a nut and bolt, and, advantageously, having fastening means to the exact construction and operation shown and described; and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents which may be resorted to will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:

1. A device for handling soiled diapers comprising two S-shaped members each consisting essentially of an upper handle section, a connecting shank section and a lower, flat-bottomed half-bowl section, said members being pivotally joined to one another at their shank sections to allow for a scissors-like operation so that when said members are in a closed position said half bowls meet to form a flat-based concave vessel adaptable for holding a soiled diaper, said handle sections being hookshaped to allow the device to be hung by said handles over the rim of a toilet bowl, said handle sections having means for releasably locking them together when the device is in a closed position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said handle sections are provided with finger holes.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a rotatably mounted hook on the upper handle section of one of said members and a cooperating stud catch 'on the upper handle section of the other of said members.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the meeting edges of the bottoms of said half-bowl sections include raised lip portions extending into the vessel when said members are in a closed position. a

5. The device of claim 1 made of a resilient plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS- 127,212 5/1872 Aylworth 2941-1'8 X 818,465 4/1906 Price 294-418 X 1,323,582 12/1919 Dow '10748 2,644,455 7/1953 Benoit 294 -118 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,045,323 6/1953 Frances 25 IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR HANDLING SOILED DIAPERS COMPRISING TWO S-SHAPED MEMBERS EACH CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN UPPER HANDLE SECTION, A CONNECTING SHANK SECTION AND A LOWER, FLAT-BOTTOMED HALF-BOWL SECTION, SAID MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY JOINED TO ONE ANOTHER AT THEIR SHANK SECTIONS TO ALLOW FOR A SCISSORS-LIKE OPERATION SO THAT WHEN SAID MEMBERS ARE IN A CLOSED POSITION SAID HALF BOWLS MEET TO FORM A FLAT-BASED CONCAVE VESSEL ADAPTABLE FOR HOLDING A SOILED DIAPER, SAID HANDLE SECTIONS BEING HOOKSHAPED TO ALLOW THE DEVICE TO BE HUNG BY SAID HANDLES OVER THE RIM OF A TOILET BOWL, SAID HANDLE SECTIONS HAVING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING THEM TOGETHER WHEN THE DEVICE IS IN A CLOSED POSITION. 